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I’ve been seeing a girl for about six months and it’s been amazing. But going out all the time costs so much! Do you have any good, inexpensive date night activities?

Sincerely,

Cheap Date

Dear CD,

The key to a good date night is creativity, setting and follow through. Every date is simply a backdrop for you guys to have fun together and get to know each other, so it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing as long as it facilitates conversation and flirting. Here are a few author-tested dates that won’t cost you a dime.

1. Urban CampingDo you have a tent? Does she? Set it up in the living room. Throw the rain fly (or blanket) over the top so you can’t see out of it at all. Find a playlist of thunderstorms and possibly a screensaver of a lovely crackling fire. Turn out all the lights, hop inside and tell ghost stories, pretend Z-Day has finally arrived or…whatever, you’ll just end up having sex in there anyway. If neither of you has a tent, building a fort together out of blankets and pillows is SO FUN TOO.

2. LazingPark nearby? Awesome. Put a bottle of wine in a water bottle, grab a blanket and hunker down for the afternoon. People-watching is great, as is frisbee-throwing, rock-skipping, tree-climbing, shit-talking and feet-in-the-creek-dipping.

3. Bikini WednesdayThis is the finest holiday you’ll ever celebrate and it should be mandatory in offices across the country. Interpret it however you please. Be very strict about the dress code. Boys get to wear board shorts. Mostly this devolves into dorky dance parties after you’ve eaten something that you cooked outside.

4. Games That You Pretend You Are Too Mature ForTruth or dare is a great game for adults because it can be sexually interesting or regular interesting. Play Speed, ERF, Bullshit or Blackjack. Also, throwing cards into a hat-shaped receptacle is a drastically underrated activity. Make sure that whatever you do, you add a little creative wagering. If she makes more cards in the bowl than you, she gets to shave a pattern into your chest hair. If you win three rounds of Blackjack, she has to wear Anime pigtails all day tomorrow. And the next time you have sex.

5. Animal ShelterLook up the visiting hours of the closest animal shelter and escort your girl on a heart-melting tour of the local fauna. There will be kittens. You will get laid.

6. Group Date: Storytelling NightYeah, you tell stories every time you hang out with friends but it’s different when you do it deliberately. Think of a theme (“That one time I almost…,” “I decided to go for it,” or “…and we got in SO much trouble”) and then get a little more ceremonial with your format. Designate a chair or a crown for the Storyteller and make sure everybody gets a turn. Have an award for the most unexpected or scandalous story. I played it with friends I’ve had since high school and surprisingly enough, there were still lots of fresh stories that we hadn’t heard about each other.

Hopefully these ideas sparked your imagination so that you and your lady don’t have to break the bank to enjoy your time together.

Do you have a question about dating, love or the single life? Leave it in the comments and I’ll reply in next week’s Question & Answer!

About the Author

Most Brave Girl

MostBraveGirl is the Executive Editor for Nouveau Dating and Love is Everywhere. She is a search and destroy robot for anyone acting stupid while trying to get laid. Ask for her help if you are one of those people.